Computer scientists at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh are working with professionals at the Kenya Information and Communication Technology Board to develop a credentialing examination for software developers. The goal is to ensure employers that students who pass the examination are competent software professionals who can be hired and put to work immediately.
Mark S. Kamlet, executive vice president and provost at Carnegie Mellon, stated, “As reliable software becomes ever more crucial to commerce and industry, companies are demanding better ways to identify potential employees with the skills necessary for building and maintaining software. With the support of Kenya, Carnegie Mellon is developing an innovative solution to this worldwide problem.”
Kenya is looking to become an IT powerhouse on the African continent and has invested in infrastructure and workforce preparation. Both Carnegie Mellon and their Kenyan partners hope that the credentialing examination will be rolled out worldwide. Carnegie Mellon hopes to have a pilot test ready by March 2013 and to make the test available for Kenyan software developers later that year.
